Bedford, 1775
Type: 3rd rate ; Armament 74
Launched : 1775 ; Disposal date or year : 1817
BM: 1605 tons
Complement: 584
Notes:

Apr / May 1793 departed under the command of Captain Robert Mann, as a part of a squadron for the Mediterranean Fleet, then to be based off Toulon.

28 Sep 1793 arrived at Toulon, from Conti, with 800 troops.

30 Sep 1793 Bedford departed from Toulon for Genoa with the Captain and brig Speedy, arriving off Genoa on 5 Oct and captured the French 36-gun frigate Modeste, and two armed tartans : Modeste was taken into the RN.

Early Aug 1794, Bedford, Captain Robert Mann, departed Bastia with Lord Hood in the Victory in pursuit of a French squadron, which sought safety of Gourjean bay. Leaving a squadron to blockade the French the Admiral returned to Corsica to continue operations. Due to stormy weather driving the British out to sea the French squadron was able return to Toulon.

9 Mar 1795, the Mediterranean fleet departed from Leghorn, sighting the French fleet the following day. At daylight on the 13th Adm Hotham sent out the signal for a general chase which ended the following day with the capture of the Ca-Ira and Censeur and the fleets heading off in opposite directions. [Captain Davidge Gould].

14 Jun 1795 the fleet, whilst on a cruise, was joined by a squadron from Gibraltar and England off Minorca.

8 Jul 1795, the fleet, at anchor at in San-Fiorenzo bay, once aware that the French fleet was close by, gave chase. It was sighted on the 13th and later the order was given for the general chase, but apart from the loss of a 74 by the French the result was inconclusive and resulted in not a little criticism, the consequence perhaps being Admiral Hotham's resignation on 1 Nov 1795.

6 Aug 1795, Admiral Hotham put to sea on a cruise, sighting the French fleet in Toulon road.

25 Sep 1795, the Fortitude, Bedford, Captain Augustus Montgomery, and Censeur, previously detached from the Mediterranean fleet, for England with a convoy, along with the frigates Argo, Juno, Lutine, and fireship Tisiphone. The Argo and Juno, with 32 sail of the convoy, parted company in the Gut.

7 Oct 1795, off Cape St.-Vincent the Fortitude, Bedford, and Censeur, Lutine, and Tisiphone with their convoy sighted a large French squadron, which departed in chase. In the subsequent exchange the Censeur was recaptured by the French along with 30 ships of the convoy, the rest continuing their passage to England.

4 Jun 1797, evening, departed Spithead with the Prince, Ganges, Caesar, Bedford and Formidable, under R.-Adm Sir R. Curtis to join Adm. Duncan off the Texel.

7 Jun 1797, passed by the back of the Goodwin Sands with R.-Adm Sir R. Curtis' squadron, and has been joined by the Glatton.

3 Oct 1797 arrived Yarmouth from off the Texel to victual and store etc.

9 Oct 1797 departed from Yarmouth for the Texel. 11 Oct 1797 engaged the Dutch fleet in what was to be known as the Battle of Camperdown (Admiral Duncan).

21 Feb 1798 prize money resulting from the sale of Dutch ships captured on the 11 Oct 1797 due for payment.

27 Aug 1799 Plymouth, in dock refitting as a prison ship.

14 Sep 1799 Plymouth is being fitted up as a Prison Ship

1800-1805 prison ship at Plymouth.

Plymouth 30 Sep 1805 it was proposed to fit the Bedford out as a defence ship at Weymouth, where she would lie, off the port, as a guardship, (Morning Chronicle of 3 Oct 1805), but once the worry of invasion by France started to fade it would appear that the idea was dropped and she was considered worth giving an expensive refit and, in 1807, sent to serve on the South America station.

Early Nov 1807 departed as a part of a squadron under R.-Adm. Sir W. S. Smith, in the Hibernia, for the Tagus, where they commenced a blockade on the 17th.

By 29 Nov 1807 the Portuguese Royal Family had decided to spend the rest of the war in Brazil and the squadron escorted the Royal Family to latitude 37� 47' north, and longitude 14� 17' west where the Marlborough, London, and Bedford were detached to maintain the escort to Bahia and thence to Rio de Janeior.

Deal 26 May 1811 arrived from off Flushing.

Deal 1 Sep 1811 arrived from off Flushing.

Deal 16 Sep 1811 departed for the fleet of Flushing.

Deal 29 Sep 1811 arrived from off Flushing.

Sheerness 2 Oct 1811 arrived from off Flushing.

Harwich 12 Dec 1811 arrived and remains in Hoseley Bay from the Dutch coast.

Deal 12 Jan 1812 arrived from Hosely Bay.

Deal 25 Mar 1812 started for the Texel, but remained due to contrary winds.

27 Jul 1813, Bedford departed Halifax, N.S., with the Cyane, and Fawn, and a convoy for England, which appears to have included vessels from the West Indies.

Isles of Scilly 26 Aug 1813 arrived with a convoy from Jamaica and Nova Scotia.

Deal 4 Sep 1813 arrived with a convoy from Jamaica and Nova Scotia, which are passing through the Downs for the river, with a fine breeze from the south-west.

Deal 29 Sep 1813 remains in the Downs.

Yarmouth 30 Oct 1813 Passed this port on a cruise in the North Sea.

Hosely Bay 20 Jan 1814 Parted with her cables in the gale and was in collision with the Cumberland.

Deal 29 May 1814 arrived from Flushing, and departed for Boulogne.

Portsmouth 12 Jun 1814 departed with a squadron for Cherbourg to bring back to England 10-12,000 Russian Guards.

Portsmouth 20 Jun 1814 Returned from Cherbourg without the Russian troops.

Plymouth 17 Sep 1814 Has embarked troops and sails for America tomorrow.

Plymouth 18 Sep 1814 departed with a squadron with troops for Bermuda.

14 Dec 1814 distribution of head-money arising from the capture of American gun-boats and sundry bales of cotton, [per London Gazette of 26 Jun 1821].

Deal 30 May 1815 Has arrived from New Orleans and landed troops and marines.